7 Wonders - The Wallowas (by Ryan Bahler)

If you have been following Amanda's blog, then you know that she wished for me to visit the 7 Wonders of Oregon after she passed. She asked that once I reached each destination I would reflect on special verses and pray. She knows how I work, how I process, and that I am closest to God when I'm out on adventures in nature.

I can't believe this is the last of  the 7 Wonders of Oregon. What an epic journey each one has been individually and all together. 

The Wallowas trip is number 7 of the 7 Wonders of Oregon on my list to explore, and to place the last memorial stone for Amanda. It was also one of two areas in Oregon I have yet to explore and supposedly the most beautiful, so I saved it for last. I asked my best friend Greg to join me on the trip by riding our Dual Sport Motorcycles on every awesome and curvy paved and unpaved road we could find on the way there. As always, our motorcycles were packed, minimalist style, and we rode the wild west while avoiding any main road and highways that we could. We planned the trip from gas station to gas station and kept an extra gallon on the rear rack just in case.

After much discussion and planning we decided to not only make the trip to The Wallowas, but to extend the trip to ride through Hells Canyon, over the Snake River into Idaho, back over the Snake River into Oregon, down to the east side of the Steens Mountains, to Alvord Desert, to Sheldon National Antelope Refuge in Nevada, back up to Oregon into the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest, and back home.

It was a huge trip and we put our Honda CRF250L Dual Sport Motorcycles though some demanding environments and terrain while testing our skilled riding. Gladly and as expected, the claimed Honda reliability held true. Through the whole trip, all we had to do for maintenance is adjust the tire pressure to each terrain and readjust the tension on the drive chain every 500 miles.

In the Wallowas, you can look down from an alpine summit and see the high desert of Indian country roll out in front of you in one direction, and then turn around and see past Hells Canyon into the next state, and some say all the way past it to the next one after that.

I made plans with Amanda's sister Jill to meet her and her family (husband Brad and kids Joel, Grayson, and Ella) at Wallowa Lake State Park for a wonderful homemade taco lunch. It was a wonderful treat after a long ride to the Wallowas. We enjoyed each others company and checked out the nearby stream flowing into Wallowa Lake which was full of Rainbow Trout and Kokanee Salmon. There were so many that you could almost catch them by hand. After lunch we all took the Wallowa Lake Tramway to the top of Mount Howard where we would all explore to find the perfect spot for Amanda's 7th memorial stone. 

You can hike or ride a horse to the summit, but the fastest way to the top is the tramway that rises 3,700 feet from Wallowa Lake Village to the peak of Mt. Howard. Each tram car is limited to 4 people, so my nephew's Joel and Grayson were super excited to ride with Greg and I. What a treat it was to spend that time with them. Shortly following was Jill, Brad, and Ella. 

Once we reached the top, we all started hiking the 1.9 mile trail around the Summit to find that perfect spot. We explored the entire summit of Mount Howard which is the highest summit on the Nason Ridge. There are some opportunities for class 3 and 4 scrambling, if desired. The view from the top includes Glacier Peak, the Stuart and Wenatchee Ranges, the Entiat Mountains and Bonanza Peak. A little bit of Rainier and Mt. Adams are also visible. Two other peaks, Mastiff and Rock are nearby and offer opportunities for traverses.

Finally I found the most amazing spot to place the memorial stone. We stood in awe looking north toward Wallowa Lake with the Wallowa Mountains to our left and the Wallowa Valley to our right. The contrast of all three were spectacular!

Once I placed the stone I sat to share what I've learned with family, reflect on biblical verses, and pray. I shared something that I was holding onto for a long time and it was the perfect time to share with family that sat with me in the beautiful Wallowas. I would like to share some of those deep insights with all of you pertaining the verses I studied, how I grew through exploring each 7 Wonders of Oregon, and how God molded and strengthened me through the most difficult time of my life. I am so grateful for this entire gift and more equipped than ever for the greatness of God. 

My plan is to write one last blog. In the final blog I will share all of what I mentioned in the previous paragraph and the spreading of Amanda's ashes at our favorite camp spot in Blue River. It is a large area and I will be inviting close family and friends to partake in the event. There will be camping, floating and swimming in the lake, games, barbecuing, stories to share, and placing the final memorial stone while I spread Amanda's final ashes. The plan is to have the event in spring, so stay tuned until then. 

For now please enjoy the pictures, and for the first time, video! Oh, and I should mention that I went paragliding off of Mount Howard over 8,500 feet in the air while viewing The Wallowas, so yeah it was epic! 

Make sure to follow the link to the video of me Tandem Paragliding with Todd from Wallowa Paragliding below.

Below you will see pictures and blurbs of the adventure:

Tap the following link to see HelmetCam pictures of us - 
Riding our Motorcycles to the Wallowas

Day One: The Wallowas - Mount Howard

Mount Howard is located in the Wallowa region of northeast Oregon. The mountain is home to Wallowa Lake Tramway, the steepest tram in North America. At the top of the mountain, there is a restaurant called the Summit Grill and Alpine Patio.

 From the tram we had a beautiful view of Wallowa Lake.

Mt. Howard is a peak on the northwestern edge of the Wallowa Mountains. At over 8000 feet (2500 meters) in elevation, the summit hosts open subalpine grassland, intermixed with whitebark pine and subalpine fir communities. The broad summit of Mt. Howard provides a wonderful opportunity to view alpine and subalpine wildflowers as well as treat the visitor to truly spectacular panoramic views of the Wallowa Mountains and Wallowa Valley.

We took the 1.9 mile summit loop to find the perfect spot for the last memorial stone for Amanda.

The summit trail is quite easy with only 300 ft of elevation gain, but many other trail system can go far beyond that level. Unfortunately we didn't have the time for the other trails, but I plan to be back again for some more hiking through the Wallowa Mountains.

The hiking can be endless, far beyond your eyes can see.

I'm so thankful for the Gentry family (Amanda's sister Jill and her husband Brad and kids Joel, Grayson, and Ella) to join!

And of  course the best dual sport riding buddy in the world!

With well groomed trails this is a breeze.

If  the trees could talk...the battle of life is beautiful!

July and August provide visitors the best opportunities for wildflower viewing: several different beard-tongues, red mountain heather, oval-leaf and alpine golden buckwheats, ballhead sandwort, lance-leaf stonecrop, old man’s whiskers, field locoweed, fleabane, and alpine goldenrod adorn the summit. The globally rare Greenmann’s desert parsley can also be found on the Mt. Howard Summit. For the more adventurous wildflower enthusiast, a longer trail climbs toward East Peak and Mt. Aneroid providing additional wildflower viewing.

I think we found the best spot for placing the 7th Memorial Stone for Amanda

From this spot you can see the Wallowa Mountains, Lake, and Valley.

Perfect spot to read and study the verses, and pray.

The contrast is breathtaking!

 This spot couldn't be any more perfect with the emotions flooding through my body, heart, soul, and mind.

This is where I was able to share my thoughts with family and Greg about the verses that Amanda asked me to pray and reflect on while adventuring the 7 Wonders of Oregon.

Then once again another chipmunk sits near Amanda's memorial stone while I pray. This has happened at multiple 7 Wonders of Oregon locations. Can you remember which ones? I do and it's special.

 

Day Two: Paragliding The Wallowas off of Mount Howard

This is Todd from Wallowa Paragliding, he is an awesome guy and talented pilot. Safety first!

Todd is giving me a few pointers and waiting for the perfect wind.

And here we go!

 

Can you see us out there? We got over 8,500 feet in the air.

It is absolutely the best way to see the Wallowas!!

And I urged Todd to do some tricks, so we performed some spins and flips. Words cannot express the joy and excitement!!!

See the Video of Me Paragliding with Todd from Wallowa Paragliding

Here is the YouTube version of the video - https://youtu.be/dOpUkeaCufU

Tap the following link to see HelmetCam pictures of us - 

Riding our Motorcycles from The Wallowas to Hells Canyon & Alvord Desert

Tap the following link to see Beautiful Pictures of the rest of the trip at - 

Hells Canyon, Alvord Desert, and Rogue BLM

*Jumping our dual sport motorcycles may have taken place =)

Thank you all for your love and support!

Thank you Lord for the Holy Spirit that fills my heart and soul! 

Thank you Amanda for this gift. Loving you always!

Proverbs 3:5-6  (NIV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV) 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

7 Wonders of Oregon

http://traveloregon.com/7wonders/

The Wallowas Information

http://traveloregon.com/cities-regions/the-wallowas/

Wallowa Paragliding

http://www.flythewallowas.com/

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#SevenWondersOfOregon

#TheWallowas

#FlyTheWallowas

#WallowaParagliding

7 Wonders - Crater Lake (by Ryan Bahler)

If you have been following Amanda's blog, then you know that she wished for me to visit the 7 Wonders of Oregon after she passed. She asked that once I reached each destination I would reflect on special verses and pray. She knows how I work, how I process, and that I am closest to God when I'm out on adventures in nature. That is one of the many things I am thankful for.

It has been 9 months since I wrote my last blog, but I did complete number 6 of the 7 Wonders of Oregon last summer by visiting Crater Lake National Park. This is a very special place to me and the last big adventure Amanda and I had together. Despite Amanda battling cancer, we still went on adventures. We planned and went on a trip with friends and her brother to take a ranger guided snowshoe walk at Crater Lake National Park. Ranger Dave was a great guide who made a fun way to explore the winter wonderland while learning how plants, animals, and people survive in the deep snow. The walk lasted about 2 hours and covered approximately 1 mile of moderately strenuous terrain. We explored the forests and meadows along the rim of Crater Lake.  I will say that anyone that attempts this excursion should be in reasonably good physical condition, and come prepared with warm clothing and water-resistant footwear. Amanda was quite the trooper, even with how weak she was from battling the cancer, her sense of adventure was quite evident. She pushed through the terrain and never fell back as we gazed upon Crater Lake on that beautiful blue sky day. I sure do love that strength about her, it is so encouraging!

For number 6 of the 7 Wonders of Oregon I went to place one of Amanda's Memorial Stones somewhere in Crater Lake National Park. I asked my good friend Keith if he would like to join and he gladly excepted. Crater Lake National Park is a well organized tourist attraction so it's hard to explore like I normally like to, but Keith and I were able to find a few things that most don't attempt throughout the trip.

We decided to make camp at Mazama Campground which was very large. When you first pull in we noticed that it was tailored to the folks who like "glamping" which is camping with RV's, fancy camping rigs, amenities and, in some cases, resort-style services not usually associated with "traditional" camping. Gladly they had a few tent camping sites left that we were able to rent for a couple nights. We proceeded to set up our minimalist camping style including the underlying concept - "Man vs. Wild" in a controlled, realistic form. Minimalist camping is the act of intentionally tackling the wilderness with nominal supplies. It draws a very thick line between needs versus wants.

Coincidentally my brother, his fiance and kids were on their way to explore Crater Lake National Park that very same weekend, so we invited them to camp with us. It was great to have them there and they even joined us on a few excursions, but they were limited with having the kids, so Keith and I did most of the adventures with just the two of us (cue that song - Bill Withers - Just the two of us), Haha!

Below you will see pictures and blurbs of the adventure:

Day One: At Crater Lake National Park

With my buddy Keith as we explored around and gazed upon the beauty of Crater Lake National Park

The color on the waters edge is awesome. In the distance you see Wizard Island which is where we will be on day two.

I was hanging over this cliff to get the shot.

Vidae Falls

Perhaps the loveliest and most accessible within the park, Vidae Falles may be seen from the east entrance road near the point where it crosses Sun Creek, about three miles from Government Headquarters.

Entering Pinnacles Trail

 

I can't help but climb just about anything.

The Pinnacles

These towering needle-like formations of rock, called fossil fumaroles, project from the Sand Creek Canyon floor, which were formed under sheets of volcanic pumice that preceded Mt Mazama's eruption that occurred around 5677 BC, ± 150 years. As the surface of the hot pumice cooled over the years, steam and gases were released by the hot rocks underneath through vents and tubes that were welded into cement hardness by their passage. These ancient vents now stand alone due to the erosion of the surrounding softer materials.

Castle Rock (Pumice Castle)

Below Cloudcap, a bright orange and pink formation of pumice and tuff protrudes from the caldera wall composed of layers of pumice laid down in the early days of Mazama and covered by later eruptions. Hot gases have colored them orange and apricot. Exposed during Mazama's final collapse, they have since been eroded by wind and water into a formation called Castle Rock.

This is as close as I could zoom in to see Castle Rock

Mount Scott

Mount Scott is the highest point in Crater Lake National Park. The trail to the summit boasts unsurpassed views of the caldera and Cascade peaks.

Sitting on a cliff and taking in the incredibly blue water of Crater Lake

I guess I should stay back...

Watching the sunset with my pups while the mosquitoes were eating us alive. Unfortunately the bug spray wasn't working, so we covered up with blankets to hide from the nuisance.

My brother, his fiance and kids joined us for the beautiful sunset over Crater Lake

The sunset was surreal

Viewing Mt Thielsen during the sunset

Day Two

Hiking down Cleetwood Cove Trail to take the shuttle boat to Wizard Island in the middle of Crater Lake. The Wizard Island shuttle allowed us time to hike to the summit of Wizard Island and enjoy the phenomenal panoramic view. Wizard Island is a volcanic cinder cone which forms an island at the west end of Crater Lake. The top of the island reaches 6,933 feet above sea level, about 755 feet above the average surface of the lake. The cone is capped by a volcanic crater about 500 feet wide and 100 feet deep.

First we had to hike down 1.1-miles to access the lake and boat dock. The hike drops approximately 700-feet, and it took 30 to 45 minutes to descend the trail and reach the water’s surface. The trails descent is equivalent of more than 70 flights of stairs. If you ever hike Cleetwood Clove Trail then keep in mind that you have to hike back up the steep and well maintained trail. There are benches periodically place beside the trail for those who need to take a break.

Below is one of the shuttle boats

On the shuttle boat to Wizard Island. Standing to take pictures is frowned upon...oops.

Made it to Wizard Island

A short distance from the trailhead where the terrain steepens and switchbacks leading us to the 6,940-foot summit of Wizard Island.

I'm wearing the the backpack and patches of the 7 Wonders of Oregon that TravelOregon.com gifted to me. Thanks again, I really appreciate you all at +Travel Oregon.

About half way up the trail and the view is already blowing me away!

Made it to the top of Wizard Island with a path leading around the 90-foot-deep crater summit. Wizard Island was created after Mount Mazama, a large stratovolcano, erupted violently approximately 7,700 years ago, forming its caldera which now contains Crater Lake. Following the cataclysmic caldera-forming eruption, which left a hole about 4,000 feet deep where the mountain had once stood, a series of smaller eruptions over the next several hundred years formed several cinder cones on the caldera floor. The highest of these cones, the only one to rise above the current lake level, is Wizard Island, which rises over 2,700 feet above the lowest point on the caldera floor and the deepest point in the lake.

It's hard to believe the color of Crater Lake. No editing was done on these photos.

Walking around the top to find a spot to place the 6th memorial stone for Amanda and the emotions are rushing through my body.

You know when some one says - "You had to be there"
That can not be any more evident than in this moment.

Looking down into the 90-foot-deep crater of Wizard Island and this little chipmunk decided to join me. It was looking for a handout I'm sure, but still cute and cool.

I looked up and saw the perfect spot for Amanda's 6th memorial stone. I climbed about 20 feet up a volcanic rock formation and placed the memorial stone. It almost doesn't look real with the glorious background of Crater Lake, it sure was surreal.

I couldn't have picked a perfect spot. Look at those colors and contrast.

Reflecting on Proverbs 3:5-6 ,Jeremiah 29:11-13, and praying. This is something special I hold very close to my heart. Amanda and I were given these verses from the Lord through prayer which were part of our foundation in marriage and life.

I wish I could have stayed all day, but our three hours was about up and we had to get back down to catch the shuttle boat back to the bottom of Cleetwood Cove trail.

Descending down Wizard Island with my heart and soul filled to the brim!

Here is an old tree that had a turning point in its life. Symbolism at its finest.

Thank you all for your love and support!

Thank you Lord for the Holy Spirit that fills my heart and soul! 

Thank you Amanda for this gift. Loving you always!

Proverbs 3:5-6  (NIV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV) 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

7 Wonders of Oregon

http://traveloregon.com/7wonders/

Crater Lake Information

http://traveloregon.com/trip-ideas/oregon-stories/7-wonders-of-oregon-crater-lake/

http://traveloregon.com/see-do/attractions/outdoors-nature/crater-lake/

#amandanbahler

#amandanbahlerblogspot

#traveloregon

#7wondersoforegon

#sevenwondersoforegon

#CraterLake

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